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We have the triple play but not much in the way of add-ons. Our phone is the Carolinas-only long distance package, not nationwide. Internet is standard and the speed is quite good; we provide our own modem. For cable TV we have HD digital with one DVR, no add on tiers or premium channels. Our bill is $190/mo. I'm probably going to drop the phone soon and go without a house phone - I don't expect my bill to drop much as the services are unbundled.
I also dropped my house phone last year. I felt I was simply paying to keep is so that marketers and misdialers could call me it's an adjustment, I have to be sure my cell is always charged - I can get lax about this as I'm not glued to it like many people are. But I don't miss it. With fees, i think it saved me around $50 or so per month. This offset my cell bill somewhat.
I also dropped my house phone last year. I felt I was simply paying to keep is so that marketers and misdialers could call me it's an adjustment, I have to be sure my cell is always charged - I can get lax about this as I'm not glued to it like many people are. But I don't miss it. With fees, i think it saved me around $50 or so per month. This offset my cell bill somewhat.
Take the leap
We dropped our TWC phone about a year ago. Our monthly bill is now about $170 including taxes and fees.
Our house phone costs $7/mo for local/long distance(Anveo and VoIP). I'm going back to free Google voice next month and then my cost will be $12/yr for e911 service. One time fee of ~$50 for an Obihai box and you're good to go.
I was on GV two years ago but they temporarily stopped supporting the protocol that Obihai needed. They've started that support again. GV provides very good service for home use if you need a home phone. Since we have two young kids we need for them to have access to a phone for 911. The Obihai drives the phone network in our house so we have 4 phones for them to access.
The day AT&T announced GigaPower for Cary, I called up TWC and they dropped my monthly rate by $12 while upgrading my Internet from standard to turbo. We're at like $130 for Internet, standard TV with a couple of CableCards for our TiVos, and phone.
Our TWC bill runs $92 a month. $42 or so for Earthlink internet (15/1 -- soon to be increased to "MAXX" speeds), the remainder for basic cable. No HD boxes or DVRs, but can get HD quality on most channels on Roku, etc.
When Dish Sling comes out, we are likely to DROP cable and go Internet only. Replacing it is:
- Existing Netflix/Hulu subscriptions that the wife loves and I would cancel at risk of physical peril
- A Simple.TV box connected to a Mohu Leaf antenna for OTA channel recording and viewing via our Roku boxes. (Simple.TV is being a bit sketchy as a company; would go with Tablo if buying over again.)
- Dish Sling to get ESPN, many basic cable channels, and WatchESPN access.
The real hope is that we are able to access Dish Sling and Simple.TV from our mountain cabin, too. Right now we pay two HSI/cable bills each month. We're not in two places at once so why pay for cable at both places?
This sounds like a pretty solid plan. As a veteran cord cutter, I can offer a couple of tips:
You might need to install a rooftop antenna. OTA reception is tricky in Durham, with signals coming from different directions at fairly long distances. I didn't even have great luck with the rooftop antenna until I added a preamp. I wish somebody had told me about that earlier. The Mohu Sky does have an integrated preamp, but I think that most antennas will work fine if you add a cheap preamp.
Also, check out the Bing Rewards program. You can get Hulu Plus free each month by using Bing for some searches each day. When you can easily DVR stuff from the antenna, there isn't a huge benefit to Hulu Plus, but it's a nice little add-in just for participating in a Microsoft rewards program.
Do y'all have Verizon FIOS up there? They offer $79.99 TV/Internet/Phone for 2 years, plus a $300 - $400 Visa gift card.
I currently have them for phone/internet and love them. Considering trying them ot for TV as well.
I've heard rumors that Verizon will sell all their Florida wireline business to CenturyLink soon. Things may stay pretty much the same for you, but just be aware that Verizon doesn't care about that business any more. Also, don't expect the new owners to do much infrastructure investment. We learned that first hand in Durham.
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